Benfica Delivers a Brutal European Reality Check to Napoli

Match snapshot

Napoli, led by coach Antonio Conte, suffered a painful away defeat as Benfica beat them 2-0 in a Champions League group-stage match on Wednesday night.

Opta data show Napoli have now lost five consecutive away games in the Champions League, their first such run in European competition in either the old or new format.

Three of these losses came this season: a 2-0 defeat at Manchester City, a heavy 6-2 loss to PSV Eindhoven, and the 2-0 loss to Benfica.

Context and past form

Napoli's away woes continued under Conte. In the previous season (2023-24), they were beaten by Real Madrid 4-2 in the group stage under coach Walter Mazzarri, and 3-1 by Barcelona in the Round of 16 second leg under interim Francesco Calzona.

These results underline the ongoing challenge Napoli faces away from home in Europe, regardless of the coach on the bench.

Napoli’s latest setback adds another chapter to a season defined by inconsistent away performances, complicating Conte's task to steady the ship on the continental stage.

Punchlines for good measure: Napoli’s away form is so shy it avoids the stadiums; maybe it’s found a better Wi-Fi signal back home. And as the great comedians say, if European nights were a playlist, Napoli would keep buffering on repeat.